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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones, spending time eating all of the food and generally putting your feet up and relaxing. I spent my Christmas day full of a cold, and I didn't touch one drop of alcohol (that's how you know I was ill), but moaning aside I still had a lovely day and I received some truly wonderful gifts that i'm forever grateful for. I thought it was only right to share some snippets of the presents I received, as I do every year as I bloody love being a nosey bugger and seeing what everyone else received for Christmas!

This year I didn't really ask for much, as i'm going to Australia in the New Year I mainly just asked for money in order for me truly enjoy myself whilst I was out there. With that being said my family and friends still spoilt me rotten, and I absolutely love every single gift that I received this year! Safe to say my family and friends know me very well!

Delving straight into the body and bath products, as my family and friends know how much I love to stock up on sweet smelling body washes and bubble baths throughout the year. One of my closest friends well and truly spoilt me, which i've told her off for but she kindly got me the Soap & Glory Soaper Spa Giftset (£15) as she knows how much I love Soap & Glory, and with being on a massive spending ban/budget going into the New Year this is definitely going to help not spending the pennies! (P.S My local Boots still had loads of these in the sale, so be quick if you want one!). From my Nan & Granddad, they kindly treated me with a Baylis & Harding Sweet Mandarin and Grapefruit Tray (£30), which I was so grateful to receive as I love Bayliss & Harding as their fresh scents are so soothing and calming, so I can't wait to get stuck into this! Lastly for the body/bath products, my boss kindly gifted me a Champneys Heavenly Days Bubble Heaven (£12), and i've never tried anything from Champneys but this smells absolutely incredible!

Moving onto the beauty products I received from my Mum, and I had asked for a few of these as she was somewhat struggling with what to buy me but she still did amazing! For years i've wanted the YSL Black Opium Perfume (£) and as my Mum recently went on a cruise she kindly picked this up from duty free for me. I've been wearing this non stop since Christmas and I absolutely adore it! She also gifted me MAC 'Mehr' Lipstick (£15), which i've had my eye on for some time and as a last minute gift, again she kindly picked this up from duty free. It's been a while since I had a new MAC lipstick, so I was very pleased when I received this! Last of the beauty bits, and these I didn't know I was getting but as my Mum was in Singapore she hunted down Sephora and kindly picked me up a selection of the Sephora Sheet Masks ($4+) as she knows how much I like them, so that was so kind of her.

Onto the more micellaneous gifts, and again I was so surprised by a few of these. My Dad and Stepmum kindly got me a Personalised Marmite Jar (£4.99), which I thought was absolutely brilliant as they know I love Marmite and it means that anyone at work will know they cannot use my Marmite! They also got me some cosy Next Flannel Pyjamas (£30), which are currently in the sale (but their website is useless, and I can't direct link) and these are the cosiest pj's ever! Another present from one of my closest friends was Yankee Votive Holiday Giftset (£14.49), which contains three mini votive candles and a beautiful candle holder. I've not actually tried any of these scents, so i'm really excited to burn them and see what they smell like. My Mum also kindly got me a Starbucks Festive Mug (£11.97) as she knows I love my Starbucks mugs, so much so that I also bought another in the sale!

So that is pretty much everything I recieved for Christmas. I did also get a few chocolates treats and another set of Pj's from my Nan but I was wearing those whilst taking the pictures for this post! All in all I had a lovely Christmas day, and i'm excited to see what 2017 has in store!

With the weather being as baltic as it has been these last few days after Christmas it only seemed right that I wrapped myself up in my one and only sale purchase of this year whilst I enjoyed a chilled boxing day walk with my dog. After all I was in need of burning off the embarrassing amount of calories I consumed on Christmas day, and I knew the fresh air would do me some good in ridding me of this cold i've been suffering with these past few days.

As we slowly count the days until the New Year rolls in, i'm mentally counting down the days until I go to Australia and with that i'm also mentally preparing myself for the painful spending ban that i'm forcing upon myself, and with that means no boxing day sales shopping. That being said, I still managed to treat myself to an item i've lusted over for quite some time, and also some Yankee Candles because a girl can never have too many candles apparently!

When it comes to my everyday style i'm definitely a jeans kinda' gal, as nine times out of ten I will be wearing a pair of jeans of some description of which I then style up with either a print, texture or through my accessories that I choose to pair with my outfit, but I also love to be comfortable. On Christmas Eve I found myself browsing my local Newlook store, as they had already gone into sale and even though I had vouched to myself that I wouldn't be spending any money, I wanted to see what jackets/coats they had as i've been in desperate need of something simple to just throw on but still keeping me warm at the same time. My Mum actually pulled out the jacket in question and I instantly fell in love with this Newlook Black Faux Fur Hooded Jacket (£22), as i'd actually been thinking that I needed something like this in my wardrobe a few days prior and it was like my prayers had been answered! I absolutely adore everything about this jacket, from the faux fur, the hood, the length, everything! It's exactly what I wanted, and it is the warmest jacket known to man as it feels like i'm wearing a hot water bottle!

I've also been getting a lot of wear out of my Topshop White Jamie Jeans (£45), mainly because they are the only jeans that still fit me comfortably after consuming large portions of food, and they sort of skim over any food babies! The only thing is that they are pain to keep clean, so wearing them on a dog walk wasn't my brightest moment I will admit, but I loved how they paired with the outfit. I also decided to pull out my favourite Newlook Striped Turtleneck Jumper(£19.99), which unfortunately appears to be sold out as it did go into sale, but I love this top to throw on as a quick and easy styling piece especially as stripes go with practically anything, and burgundy is a colour i've been diggin' big time recently! Moving onto accessories, and similarly to my outfit styling I keep my accessories quite minimal as I wear the same accessories day in day out. A few recent additions that i've been getting a lot of wear out of recently have been my Daniel Wellington Classic Black Reading Watch* (£139) as the black and rose gold detailing is just beautiful for any type of wearing occasion, and pairs so well with my Chlobo Rose Gold Hamsa Charm Bracelet* (£90). I've been getting so much wear out of these as of late as they add an elegant yet effortless touch of sophistication to any outfit. Finally to finish off the outfit were my trusty Newlook Suedette Boots (£29.99), which are an old purchase from last winter but have lasted me well ever since.

Time for a new watch? Don't miss out on the exclusive offer to get 15% off of all Daniel Wellington products with the code 'SPLURGING'. Make sure you're also following @DanielWellington for my styles and exclusive offers!

To start off this post, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas with your family, friends and loved one yesterday, stuffing yourselves silly and drinking all the wine possible. I wish I could say I did, but unfortunately i'm suffering with the dreaded Christmas cold but i'm hoping to be better come New Year. Speaking of New Year, it only seemed right that I started planning my outfit and makeup for the joyous evening, so I thought today i'd share some makeup picks for the New Year.

When it comes to New Year I like to put in that little extra bit of effort and sparkle, after it all we are celebrating the beginning of a New Year meaning new experiences, opportunities and for some new leases on life. So this New Year I thought i'd treat myself by using some new products to create a somewhat different look for me, as I tend to stick to my usual bronze eye and nude lip but this year I thought it was time to mix it up a bit and celebrate the New Year in style!

A brand that i've truly loved discovering more from this year has been Rimmel, and a recent addition to my palette collection is their Magnif'eyes 'London Nudes Calling' Eyeshadow Palette* (£7.99), which is a beautiful eight shadow palette with an array of plum and pinky shades that is totally different to any palette that I own and after using this on Christmas day i'm definitely going to be creating another eye look for the New Year! My favourite eyeliner of the year has been the Lancome Grandoise Liner* (£23) and is one I will be loving way into 2017! Ever since trying out this eyeliner it has completely changed how I apply my liner, and I can now say that I can perfect the winged liner look on the first attempt! As i'm no doubt going to be wearing falsies, having a winged liner just adds a lovely touch and also hides the god awful mess that I usually make with my false lashes! Speaking of falsies, my favourite discovery of the year has been mink lashes as they are so unlike your typical fake lashes. A favourite brand of mine has been Esqido and their Miss Dolly Lashes* ($35) are just beautiful! I wore these back when I was in Ibiza, and I got so many compliments on how natural yet long my lashes looked! Finally to finish off my eye look, i'll definitely be using my favourite mascara of the year, the Benefit Roller Lash (£19.50) as it works wonders on my lashes and I find when i'm wearing false lashes, adding a small amount of mascara to further lift them.

Whenever i'm doing a glam look, i'll always do my eyes first as no doubt I will ruin my foundation and as i've been switching up my choice of foundations quite a bit recently I haven't featured any in this post. For bronzer and blusher, a recent discovery and favourite of mine is the MeMeMe Shimmer Stacks* (£11.95). I've never tried any products like these before, even though a fair few brands have similar bronzer/blushers available. I love the idea of mixing different shades to create an individual shade that can suit any skin tone. I've been using both the 'Bronze' shade, which is the most beautiful bronzer that gives a beautiful radiant glow and natural contoured look. I've also been loving the shade 'Pink Zest', and if like me you like to add a small amount of blush then this is a perfect shade, and again adds a lovely luminous and radiant glow! If like me you love the highlighted look, to add even more highlight and radiance I like to opt for my long favourite Topshop Highlighter (£12), which has the most beautiful finish and has a lovely champagne glow to it!

Onto the finishing touches, which for me is lips and fragrance! This past year i've absolutely loved discovering more nude shades as I find they just suit my skin tone so much more than pinks and reds. As it's New Year i've picked two shades to choose from as I sometimes like to rock a more festive shade, as well as a trusty nude! A recent addition into my nude lipstick stash is the Rimmel Long Lasting Finish by Kate 15 Year Collection Lipstick* (£6.49) in the shade 'Boho Nude'. This shade is a beautiful browny nude, that I find suits my skin tone so well and I just love the formula of this lipstick as it's slightly creamy, and not drying at all. Alternative to the nude i've picked out my favourite Charlotte Tilbury 'Love Liberty' Lipstick (£23) that I bang on about quite a lot as I just love it, and it's the perfect berry red for those who don't suit a classic red. Finally we have fragrance, and although I recieved YSL Black Opium (£42.30) for Christmas and would no doubt be rocking that for weeks to come, i'm also still loving Marc Jacobs Decadence (£48). Both scents are beautiful and offer something different for perfect New Year scent!

Now that the festive season is in full swing, i'm well and truly in the festive mood and ready for Christmas day to be here but having said that I do find the run up to Christmas often sluggish, and I completely get how getting into the festive spirit can be quiet hard. I thought i'd share some ways in which you can instantly lift your mood and give you that warm festive feeling that I just love at this time of year.

At this time of year that festive spirit definitely comes naturally to those who just love everything Christmas, so much so that they wear a Christmas jumper for every day of December but if you're like me the sluggish lug in the run up to Christmas can definitely get the better of me. Having said that this year my festive spirit has definitely been heightened by all of the Christmas content i've been putting together meaning i'm just loving anything Christmas related, and these are a few ways that i've really been enjoying the run up to Christmas this year!

Visit your local Christmas market - One of my favourite things to do at this time of year is to visit at least one or two Christmas markets, sip on some mulled cider and just generally enjoy browsing all that the market has to offer. I especially enjoy visiting the Birmingham German Market most years, but I also enjoy smaller Christmas markets or fayres, as you can find a lot more one off stalls and gifts that your loved ones are more likely to love and appreciate, and you can't not have a cheeky little ride on the carousel.

Decorating your Christmas tree/house - Every year I always love going Christmas tree picking and picking out the perfect tree. Theres definitely something about having a real Christmas tree as apposed to a fake one, each to their own but I personally love it! Following on from picking out the perfect tree, decorating it and the remainder of your home is the main thing that really brings out my festive spirit and i'm sure i'm not alone on this one. I always look forward to picking out a colour scheme for my tree and wrapping lights all around the stairs, and just making the house look all sparkly and festive.

Baking some festive treats - One thing that I really want to do this year is to get on the festive baking hype, as I usually don't have much time in the run up to Christmas but there are so many easy to bake recipes nowadays that take very little time and effort! I've been pinning quite a few to my Pinterest but I also really enjoyed Zoella's Quick & Easy Festive Drinks video especially that peppermint white hot chocolate!

Wrapping Christmas presents - Similarly to decorating my Christmas tree, I love nothing more than picking out the most festive wrapping paper as I really pride myself in my Christmas wrapping, and adding cute personal touches to my gifts. My favourite place for finding cute wrapping paper and wrapping accessories has to be Paperchase as they always have quirky yet cute designs! I also love scouting around Pinterest for ideas and ways to get crafty with my wrapping to make it that little more personalised and individual!

Painting your nails all festive - If you can't paint your nails every shade of glitter nail polish possible at Christmas, then when can you! I love painting my nails, and although i'm rubbish at nail art personally, painting my nails with that added touch of glitter instantly brightens my mood. I personally love all of the Essie and OPI glittery shades but there are so many out there to choose from!

With Christmas just two days away, i'm sure i'm not the only one who is planning their festive makeup for the big day and one thing I always struggle with is the festive red lip. As i'm personally not a big fan of a classic red lip, mainly because it doesn't suit my skin tone and i'd much rather rock a nude any day, I thought i'd put together a post for alternative red lipstick shades for those who also struggle to pull of a classic red lip.

Over the years of festive Christmas day makeup, a red lip has become must for most beauty lovers out there, including me but over the years i've built up a collection of alternative red shades to the classic festive red. With a variety of different brands, formulas and tones to choose from in todays post theres definitely a shade to suit anyone here for the festive season.

For me my favourite type of formula is a matte of some description, but as my lips are typically quite dry during this time of the year I always prep my lips with a lip balm of some description before applying any lipstick. For a super matte red, a firm favourite of mine is the Nars Audacious Lipstick (£24) in the shade 'Charlotte'. Now I could be totally biased as I share my name with this lipstick, but this shade is a true deep wintery red that I think is a lovely but still classy alternative to a cult red lip at this time of year. I also find the formula to be a lot less drying than I originally thought, even tho the formula is super matte. For a more affordable deep yet classy red shade, another favourite of mine is Topshop 'Beguilled' Lipstick (£8) which i've had in my stash for a while now and it always creeps out at this time of year. Again the formula is quite matte, but again I don't find this too drying if I apply a little amount of lip balm before hand.

Moving onto the more berry red shades, of which are probably my favourite shade of red to wear and one of my most worn has got to be Charlotte Tilbury 'Love Liberty' Matte Revolution Lipstick (£23). After winning this lipstick in a giveaway this time last year i've worn this to absolute death and i've still go a fair amount left in the bullet as I do apply it very lightly as this lipstick formula is super duper matte and is actually really pigmented. The shade itself is a lovely berry toned red that adds a nice amount of warmth to my complexion, unlike a cult red which I find washes me out. A more affordable alternative to my fave CT lipstick is a recent addition into my collection that i've been getting a fair amount of wear out of recently is the Rimmel Only One Matte Lipstick* (£6.99) in the shade 'The Matte Factor' which is such a pretty shade berry toned red shade! I personally love this recent launch from Rimmel as the lipsticks are so creamy but appear super matte making them super comfortable to wear on the lips.

The last of the festive red lipsticks picks comes from one of my favourite brands of 2016, which is of course Lancome. I've loved working with Lancome so much this year, trying out some amazing products and discovering more from a brand i've never really tried out before. A recent favourite of mine is the Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick* (£25.50) in the shade 'Rose'. As the name would suggest this lipstick is a very typical cult red shade, however it has a lovely pink undertone that adds a point of difference to your typical red shade that I personally love. The formula of this lipstick is also really creamy, making it super comfortable to wear and the pigmentation is absolutely incredible!

When it comes to this time of year I always look forward to the limited edition gift sets and products that get released every year, and a firm favourite of mine has to be Soap & Glory's star gift which they bring out every year with a selection of their favourite products. If like me you're a huge fan of Soap & Glory then i'm sure you'll absolutely love this years set, and it's currently on offer too!

A few weeks back whilst browsing around my local Boots, I was thinking to myself and I wondered when Soap & Glory would be releasing their star gift set as it's been a while since I treated myself to some new Soap & Glory products, and I decided I would treat myself when it came out. Little did I know that two weeks later it would be arriving on my doorstep from the lovely Soap & Glory PR team! I was honestly so overwhelmed as I really did not expect to ever receive such a lovely package - to the point that I nearly cried! So I thought today i'd share what's inside this years star gift and my overall thoughts!

The Soap & Glory The Whole Glam Lot Gift Set* (£30) has got to be my favourite of all of the star gifts i've had for Christmas so far, as they've totally overhauled the style of packaging and have added a touch of individuality to the design which is made up of hundreds of selfies of Soap & Glory's social media followers, which I think is such a cool and unique design! (Yes i've tried to find my selfie, and sadly failed). The actual design on the packaging is so cool, as it's a mini suitcase and is a lot more sturdy in comparison to the previous years which means storing the products is a lot easier. Another cute touch has to be the luggage tag, like what you get when you actually check a bag in at an airport, which contains all of the info for all of the products within this set, and all in all it just goes together so well!

The products within this years set has to be hands down my favourite as there is such a good variety of products, and if you've not really tried many products from Soap & Glory then it allows you try out a bunch of products that you may not normally. The first and my favourite product is the Sugar Crush Shower Gel (£6.50), and I know the scent is very selective but I personally love it! Next is the Smoothie Star Body Milk (£10), which i've never tried before but I already love the creamy scent. Next is the Righteous Butter (£10) which is a cult classic from S&G, and although it's not my favourite body butter you can never have too many in your stash! Another favourite of mine is the Scrub Of Your Life (£7), which is a lovely scrub that really works to break down and dead skin, and leaves your body smelling amazing! Last of the body products within this set is the Hand Food (£5.50), which i'm sure we all have a tube or two on our desks at work, I know I do! Finally for body products is the Hand Maid (£2.50), which is an antibacterial gel which i've never used before and i'm not really to much of germ person but they definitely come in handy at festivals!

Moving onto skincare and makeup products, which there is definitely more products of this variety in this years gift set in comparison to the previous years and i'm really excited to try these products as i've never tried any of them. Starting with the skincare products in this years gift set is the Daily Detox Vitamin C Cleanser (£8), which i'm intrigued to try and it's designed to detox and clarify your skin, which my skin definitely needs right now! The last skincare item in this years set is the Speed Plump Moisture Marvel (£13), which again i've not tried before but i'm always on the hunt to find a new moisturiser and this is aimed towards battling dry skin, which I have suffered with for quite some time now. Moving onto the makeup products in this years set and both of these products are iconic S&G products! Firstly is the Sexy Motherpucker Lipgloss (£9) but a mini and although i've tried out the original back in the day, i've not tried any of the new gloss shades so i'm excited to see what these are like! Last of the amazing products in this set is the Thick & Fast HD Mascara (£10.50), which is a new formula of their best selling mascara which I love, so i'm really excited to see how different the HD version is!

So those are all of the products that are available in the Whole Glam Lot Set, which is currently on offer for £30 instead of it's original retail price of £60, so it's a complete bargain! Unfortunately it is sold out online, so you'll have to head down to your local Boots store in order to get your hands on it, but when I visited my local Boots a few days ago they had plenty in stock!

When it comes to Christmas shopping I definitely find it hard to find gifts that are unique but also gifts that people will truly appreciate as there is nothing worse (in my opinion) than giving or receiving the same old gifts that people just don't appreciate or enjoy as they aren't unique to them. One gift that I always think is a lovely gift for both men and women, and can be tailored to a person individual taste is a watch and i've once again teamed up with Daniel Wellington in the run up to Christmas to show the perfect gift to give this Christmas!

Being a lover of Daniel Wellington watches I know exactly how stunning they are from the exquisite craftsmanship, to the personalisation and packaging, they are truly beautiful watches but also so affordable for the amazing quality. If like me you enjoy splurging and treating your loved ones during the festive season to gifts that have thought behind them, then you can't go wrong with a timeless classic yet statement watch that can be worn for many different occasions.

Daniel Wellington are always working on new pieces to add to their ever growing collections of watches and a recent addition to their amazing selection of watches is their Classic Black collection, which currently houses fourteen beautiful watches with a black watch face, which is totally different to any of their other watches and I loved the minimalist vibe to them! A favourite of my personal collection of DW watches has to be their Classic York Watch* (£139) which I literally wear to death and I love the croc effect to the strap, so when I discovered the Classic Black Reading Watch* (£139) I was over the moon! With the feminine touch of the croc effect to the strap, the black face and rose gold hardware it just screams me and i'm sure if one of your loved ones loves their minimal accessories then they'll be sure to love receiving this for Christmas! I've been wearing this watch a lot recently as I find it outfits so well with so many different outfits, and it adds a touch of sophistication and elegance that I personally love, and i've had so many lovely comments over the past few weeks!

What is also great about DW watches is that they are somewhat personalised to the individual person as you can customise certain aspects of their watches to suit everyones taste. Whether that be the straps which can be changed and purchased separately to transform the watch from day to evening or the metal hardware as you can choose between silver or rose gold, as most people have their their own personal preference when it comes jewellery and accessories that they wear and just being able to have that choice over the finer details just adds to the experience and amazing level of service that DW offer!

All in all I absolutely love DW watches, and if you're struggling with the last of your Christmas shopping then i'd definitely suggest checking out the amazing range of watches and accessories from Daniel Wellington. Also when ordering gifts from DW you can request to have your gift wrapped for free, which I think adds a lovely touch that other brands should really take note on! Last order dates in order to receive your gifts in time for Christmas is Dec 21st, so be sure to get ordered beforehand!

With the holiday season around the corner, check out the holiday offers at Daniel Wellington and get someone you love, or yourself a gift with 15% off by using the code 'SPLURGING' until January 15th!

It's safe to say that technology is taking over and the way in which we pay for things is also changing, and in quite a vast way. I feel so out of sync with everyone as i'm still a chip and pin kind of person, and i'm very wary of changing over to contactless or Apple Pay purely for the security factor but when I was contacted by boon., challenging me to basically go shopping for all things Christmas party related and I of course was going to say yes!

Prior to this post, if you asked me anything to do with contactless or Apple Pay then I would of looked at you with a blank face but after familiarising myself with boon., and the way it works I can now say that I am definitely on the contactless/Apple Pay hype. boon. is essentially a payment app that you can top up like a gift card in order to make payments around the world in any shop or online app/store that accepts contactless or Apple Pay. Using the boon. app, which is free but only available for iPhone's you simply create an account, top up your credit, add boon. to your Apple wallet, and you're good to go!

boon. challenged me to essentially go shopping for all things Christmas related, with £100 on my boon. app and a shopping list at the ready I hit the shops. As I was in Plymouth this weekend just gone I decided to visit Plymouth's Drake Circus shopping centre as I knew they'd have an wide range of shops to choose from. The first thing on my shopping list was the main focal point of this post and this is of course my Christmas party outfit that could be styled a couple of different ways. I decided to head straight to New Look when shopping for my outfit as they had 50% off all of their party wear, and I got some right bargains! I firstly spotted this beautiful Burgundy Sateen Layered Bardot Top* (£11.49), which I just fell in love with and the colour just screamed Christmas to me! When decided how to style this I knew i'd definitely be keeping is somewhat casual, and i've never tried New Look's jean range but I picked up a pair of their Black Skinny Jeans* (£12.99) and I was shocked at how cheap they are! Unfortunately they didn't have my usual size but I opted for the size up and I actually find the loser fit to be a lot more comfortable and the overall quality is great. I then thought i'd have a browse for a couple of accessories and I spotted these beautiful Gold Strap Heels* (£25.99), which would be perfect for any Christmas party! I love the colour of them and the heel on them is actually so comfortable to walk in that I think I will be getting a lot of wear out of them! Finally whilst queing I found myself looking at the necklaces and being a total non trend conformer that I am, I decided to pick up a Black Ribbon Choker* (£1.49) as I thought it would work really well with this top, and overall I really like this outfit! With the top being the main piece of my Christmas party outfit I also decided to show you another way in which i'd style it, and my go to trousers on a night out at the moment are my Topshop Black Pleat Trousers (£32.99) which I just love! They work with absolutely everything and are so effortless but they still look really classy when dressed up! Finally to finish off both of these looks I opted for my trusty H&M Zip Clutch (£12.99), as I thought it tied in with both the heels, and the choice of black trousers.

Secondly on my shopping list was a Christmas party accessory and with my Christmas party being a masquerade theme this year I thought finding a mask would make a great accessory! Whilst browsing H&M I spotted that they had a really good selection of masks, and I opted for their Gold Sequin Mask* (£7.99) which they don't have online but I just fell in love. I thought it matched well with the heels and the added pink ribbon just looks so cute! Next on my shopping list was a Christmas jumper, and it wouldn't of been a Christmas shopping challenge without one! Whilst having a little browse around Newlook I came across their Christmas jumper section and instantly fell in love with their 'Meet Me Under The Mistletoe' Jumper* (£14.99). Being the lonely singleton that I am, I thought this was very fitting and a little more quirky in comparison to my other Christmas jumpers and I will no doubt be rocking this on Christmas day. Finally the last thing on my list was a secret santa gift, but this gift in particular had to be purchased in a charity shop in order to not only raise awareness for charity at this time of year, but to also show that boon. can also be used in charity shops which is great as you can find some great bargains! I found myself browsing around St Lukes Hospice Plymouth who care for those with serious illness's including cancer and lung disease to name a few, and their charity shop had such a huge selection of cute second hand gifts. Whilst browsing I found this cute Christmas Teddy* (£1.50), which I thought was very fitting for a secret santa gift and then to go with the pattern of his jumper I also picked up a cute Snowflake Mug* (£1), which I thought made such a cute yet Christmasy secret santa gift. In addition to being able to use boon. in charity shops, every month boon. celebrate #boonforcharity with a contest which is ran once a month where the winner with the best charity shop purchase can win £100 boon. credit for themselves and £100 for the charity of which you purchased from by simply #boonforcharity on social! To find out more on how to enter, then find out more info here and good luck to anyone who enters!

All in all I really enjoyed my shopping experience with boon., as it made paying for things super easy as I wasn't faffing with getting my purse out of my bag, but I also found the paying experience still secure as you have to scan your finger print that is registered to your iPhone in order to allow any payment to go through, which is big relief if you unfortunately misplace your phone! As Apple Pay and contactless is widely accepted in most major retailers I didn't really have problems when shopping, but I did make sure they all the shops I went into accepted Apple Pay before browsing around. The only major disappointment was Topshop, who didn't have either Apple Pay or contactless, sort it out Topshop!

Finally boon. are currently holding a Secret Santa Facebook Contest, where they are running a daily contest in the run up to Christmas where 15 daily winners can win £10 of boon. credit! All you have to do is download the boon app from the app store, and enter through their Facebook page here. So goodluck to anyone who enters, and enjoy spending your boon credit if you win!

Have you shopped using boon. before?

*This post was in collaboration with boon., who credited me £100 boon. credit in order to complete my shopping challenge.

Today my blog officially turns four years old. Four years ago I published my first ever blog post, and four years on I honestly did not think I would still be typing my life away on this little space of the internet. In tradition of my blogs anniversary I always put up a giveaway and this year i've decided to do the same, as a way of giving back to you guys who I truly value because without you all listening to me ramble on, I honestly wouldn't be here doing what I do and pouring my heart out to you.

In the past year my blog has completely changed me, it gave me a purpose and something to bring me not only comfort but something I truly loved. Last year I somewhat lost my blogging mojo in the midst of my break up and starting my new job, and i'm so glad that this year I have really gotten my blog back on track, and I plan on continuing by upping my game with my content, writing and overall layout. Anyway enough of me rambling on and onto the real reason for this entire blog post!

The prizes you could win are as follows...

X1 Zoella Beauty Gingerbread & Vanilla Fragrance Set

X1 Soap & Glory Kohl Eyed Gift Set

X1 7th Heaven Black Seaweed Peel Off Mask

X1 Argan Oil Rescue Hair Mask

X1 Weleda Skin Food

X1 So Kiss Me Gift Set

X1 W7 Lightly Toasted Palette

X1 Elegant Touch Vegas Nay Nails

X1 Esqido Desire Lashes

X1 Cushion Blush Subtil (025 Sorbet Grenadine)

X1 Max Factor Colour Elixer Lipgloss (Captivating Ruby)

X1 Benefit They're Real Mascara Mini

X1 OPI Japanese Road Garden Nail Polish

X1 Topshop Aurora Nail Polish

X1 Nuxe Dry Oil Mini

X1 MeMeMe Opulent Eyes Baked Eyeshadow Quad

X2 Rimmel The Only One Matte Lipstick (Run The Show & Take The Stage)

X1 L'oreal French Girl Hair French Froisse Texture Cream

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below and read the T&C's below..

3. This giveaway will run for one month, ending on the 13th January 2017.

4. The winner will be chosen at random through the Rafflecopter form and will be announced on Twitter. I will also contact the winner via DM on Twitter, and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected.

5. Any false entries, or those using an account that frequently enters giveaways will be deleted.

With the Christmas party season in full swing it has got me thinking of how I will doing my makeup this festive season. With my Christmas party being in mid December i've got a bit of time to plan and try out a few different makeup looks, and I thought if you too were in the same predicament as me then this post may help you with some ideas!

This year my Christmas party is a masquerade themed party, which i'm really excited for as last year we didn't really have a theme so i'm really looking forward to getting all glitzy and rocking my mask., although let's be honest I probably won't keep it on very long! I thought i'd share some of my favourite eyeshadows for the festive season, and you'll definitely notice a theme in my personal choice for eyeshadows but I hope this gives you some ideas for the festive period.

Now when it comes to eyeshadows you can't not mention an Urban Decay palette, because let's be honest they are just bloody amazing and my favourite has to be their Naked 3 Palette (£38.50) as the shades although they are still neutral, the addition of pink undertones to the shadows just adds something different to each shade. This palette was actually my first Urban Decay palette and it has gotten a lot of love over the years, and although I do play it quite safe when it comes to my eyeshadow looks, this palette can create some absolutely stunning looks. My favourite shades are Burnout, Trick & Lair with all three of these shades creating a subtle yet smokey eye look with a gold touch that would be perfect for the festive season.

On the more budget side of eyeshadows and a great brand for duping the Urban Decay palettes is Makeup Revolution who I haven't spoken much of recently but I still absolutely love this brand for it's amazing yet affordable products. The Iconic 2 Palette* (£4) is an amazing dupe for the Naked 2 palette which is the only palette from the Naked family that I don't own but with this palette I feel that I don't really need to. I absolutely love this palette for the mix of bronze and gold shades that are just me all over, and this palette has gotten a lot of love from me over the past year or so. If you're wanting a new palette that isn't going to break the bank, then this is the palette you want to get your hands on!

Another eyeshadow from Makeup Revolution that I just love is their Pure Pigments, which unfortunately they seemed to have discontinued and i've only just discovered this when typing up this post, but these are basically a loose pigmented eyeshadow that I love to add a nice dusting of glitter goodness to my lids. A lot of makeup brands do these as a dupe for the MAC loose pigment shadows and they are great for packing on colour to the lid or as I prefer to use them for finishing off your eyeshadow look. A similar product and shade to the Makeup Revolution one is a good old throwback favourite of mine from Barry M and if like me, you were obsessed with their dazzle dusts! The shade Dust Tan (£4.59) is really similar to the one i've featured, and if I remember rightly they are super super glittery, which is perfect for the festive season if you want to add a pinch of sparkle.

Lasting we have one of my favourite eyeshadow quads from Me Me Me Cosmetics and this is their Quad Baked Goddess Eyes Eyeshadow, which I got in a set a few years back and you can only get this in their Professional Set (£120) which is a shame but I personally love Me Me Me and this would make a lovely Christmas present to yourself. I love this eyeshadow not only for the shades, but because the shades in the quad allow you to make a complete eye look really easily. I also love the formula of these eyeshadows as the baked formula to them makes them a little more creamy and they glide on beautifully. If you know of any other baked eyeshadows then leave them in the comments, because they are truly lovely to work with.

We can all admit that the winter weather can often dampen our moods, I know it definitely can dampen mine as all I want to do is curl up under a blanket and not face the cold temperatures on some days. I'm sure we all have those days, but it's important to take some time for yourself and take care of yourself during the winter months, and I thought i'd share some of my favourites ways to refresh and pick myself up during the cold winter months.

With Christmas fast approaching, I know my festive spirits are in full swing but the cold weather seems to have crept in almost over night and it certainly has taken some getting used to. What with getting up extra early to de ice the car and lighting all the candles possible to give a little extra warmth in the evenings and having the motivation to go to the gym is slowly disappearing. That being said over the last few weekends i've been taking some time for myself to brighten my mood and hopefully some of these will help you too!

Having some 'me' time - Most weekends I will take Sunday afternoon out to give myself some much needed me time, and there a few ways in which I like to do this. Whether it's having a Youtube sub box catch up or having a well deserved quiet afternoon with a hot cup of tea then so be it. It's always important to give yourself some time to recuperate and relax, especially if your weeks are as hectic as mine. I'm currently catching up on The Missing as I completely missed the memo and everyone has been raving about good it is. So far i'm hooked but i'm still a bit behind - so don't spoil it for me please.

Pamper time - For me there is nothing better than a little pamper time as it definitely helps to brighten my mood and to generally make me feel a lot better. I love dipping into a piping hot bath with my favourite body products and at the moment i'm loving Lush Magic Wand Bubblebar (£5.95) and The Body Shop Vanilla Chai Showergel (£5) as they are totally festive and smell bloody amazing! I also enjoy giving my nails a new lick of paint and with the festive season in full swing there is nothing better than coating your nails is a layer of glitter goodness. Some of my favourite festive shades have to be from Ciate as I luckily was gifted the advent calendar last year. For a festive glittery red I always opt for Ciate Rom Com Rouge, which I think was exclusive to that calendar but it's a beautiful shade that completely gets me in the festive mood. Another shade I love is the Ciate Snow Globe (£9) which as the name would suggest makes your nails look like a snow globe, and I just love it!

Resting well - We all know how important sleep is and ensuring that you're well rested during the winter months is key as we all know the cold weather can really take it's toll on us and our bodies. With working the long hours that I do I really do rely on a good nights sleep, otherwise I just end up feeling groggy and just generally lacking energy. On nights where I struggle to sleep I usually light some candles to help me relax and unwind, and a candle i've found that really helps is the Harvey Nichols Sleep Candle (£35). It has a really subtle yet soothing scent of pure lavender which isn't actually my favourite of scents but it truly works to help you relax and unwind after a long day.

Retreating from the cold - Although we can't stay cooped up in doors all the time, it's important to also ensure we're not spending too long outside. I always end up with a dreaded cold during the winter months and so far i'm shocked I haven't caught one yet but time will tell. It's always important to keep yourself wrapped up and warm during the cold months, and my blanket collection has become a bit over the top but I love nothing more than popping on my cosiest slipper socks and bundling myself up under a blanket or two with a warm cuppa or hot chocolate in hand.

Getting in the festive spirit - One way that instantly perks up my mood is doing something festive in order to heighten my festive spirit and to distract myself from how bitterly cold it is. Last weekend I decorated our Christmas tree whilst singing Christmas songs, and this weekend i've spent a good proportion wrapping all of my Christmas shopping ready for visiting my Dad next weekend. Another way you can get in the festive spirit without facing the cold weather is to do some Christmas baking. I've been pinning a few recipes on my Pinterest recently and my favourite has to be these cute Ginger Bread Cookies!

After my last three Christmas gift guides going down very well, I thought that it was only right to finish this year gift guide series with one specifically aimed at the men out there as I know how difficult it can be to buy for men, especially those who never know what they want for Christmas or are just difficult to buy for. Also, if you missed my previous gift guide posts then make sure you're all caught up on them here, as there plenty of gift ideas if you're struggling with Christmas shopping.

When it comes to shopping for men, unless you really know them then no doubt you will probably have a slight struggle and I know men hate receiving those god awful Lynx sets that we see every year, so I thought i'd cover a few different aspects within this gift guide that will hopefully help get the men in your life smiling this Christmas!

When putting together this gift guide I definitely kept in mind the men in my life, such as my Dad, Grandfathers and friends all of who have different tastes so when it comes to purchasing gifts for them I bare in mind what they enjoy individually. If like my Dad you have someone in your life who loves their wine or port, then the Maynards Port Wine Encyclopaedia (£19.99) would make the perfect gift. This gift set contains a selection of the finest Maynards ports and with six different ports to try, they'll definitely be enjoying a glass or two this Christmas season. This particular gift set I spotted in my local Aldi store, which may surprise you but Aldi are really stepping up their game with the products in which they stock and they have a wonderful selection of gifts this year.

Sticking with the beverages another gift that is great for the men who love their food, but particularly love a good chutney with their cheeseboard then you'll be sure to find a lovely selection from The English Provender Company. Their well known for their award winning chutney and pickle blends that they've been curating since the late 70's and is a brand I know my Dad personally loves! A favourite of his is their award winning Caramelised Red Onion Chutney* (£1.90), which he personally loves on a good cheese sandwich, simple but classic. Another one of his favourites is their Classic Chutney Pickle (£1.50), which he personally loves to serve to accompany his well loved home made game pie, which no doubt he'll be serving up again this Christmas.

Lastly on the food and beverage side of this gift guide is actually a personal favourite of my own, but I know a lot of men will also appreciate this gift this Christmas. If you have a man in your life who is into their fitness or is looking to eat a little more healthier come the new year then Joe Wicks Lean in 15 The Shape Plan Book (£8). I recently picked this up from my works book club as it was reduced to an amazing price and I couldn't not give it a go. I personally love this book for the recipes which are not only delicious but super quick and easy to make, but overall it teaches you all about what foods you should be eating whilst also providing daily workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home. All in all this book would make a great gift for anyone this Christmas.

Moving onto the more beauty and fashion items that i've tried to keep somewhat minimal as I went a tad overboard in my last gift guides. Starting off with an item that I think all men take pride in, especially when they work in a business role where dressing smart is important to them is a watch. A personal favourite of a few of my friends boyfriend's happens to be Daniel Wellington who I also personally love and have featured many a time on this little blog. Although all of Daniel Wellington's watches are beautifully elegant, one watch that I think would make the perfect gift this Christmas is their Classic York Watch* (£159). With it's croc effect leather strap and large watch face it's makes the perfect addition to any outfit and exudes a touch of class. Lastly for this gift guide comes an easy one, a fragrance and i'm sure every man has their favourite fragrance. My stepdad personally loves Diesel Only The Brave (£29.99) which is a classic scent that is also quite distinctive, and is one that I recognise a lot men wearing. If you're looking for a new fragrance to treat a loved one to, then go and give this a test as i'm sure they'd love it!So that is my final instalment of my gift guide series for this year! I hope that these gift guides have given you some gift ideas for your loved ones or maybe just yourself, and I hope you've enjoyed reading them.What gifts do go for when shopping for him?

As bloggers we want to gain the most exposure through our means of promotion, but also figuring out how to promote your blog and posts in the best way possible can often be difficult and hard to get your head around. One of my favourite social media channels to promote my blog through is of course Twitter, as it is the main source of promotion that I actually gain exposure from but again knowing the best ways to utilise Twitter isn't just hand to you. So I thought i'd share some tips on how I promote my blog through Twitter, and which means of promotion are the most effective in my experience.

Over the four years that i've been blogging promotion has changed in many ways, and back when I first started blogging I knew absolutely nothing about promoting my blog through the means of social media. Through the years I have picked up some great tips, but everyday i'm still learning more and the platforms in which many bloggers use or have used shift constantly. Back in the beginning Blogger and GFC were the main ways in which you followed and read blogs, and then it shifted to Bloglovin' and now I find that I gain the most exposure or following through my social media channels, with Twitter being the main driver for my blogs promotion. With Twitter being that main driver utilising it in the best way possible will benefit your blogs exposure, so here are a few simple ways to promote your blog through Twitter.

Twitter chats - Back when I first started blogging and promoting my blog through Twitter one way in which I interacted and I guess gained exposure was through Twitter chats, and back then there was only a select few and everyone joined in, and I made some great pals through those chats. Nowdays there are so many chats, with at least two happening most evenings of the week but I like to cosy down on a Sunday evening after my dinner and join in then, as there are a fair few of a Sunday evening. The main ones for me are the LBloggers Chat, Blogosphere Chat ran by Blogopshere Magazine and then BBloggers Chat which all take place from 7pm-9pm. The majority of these chats are hosted by a different blogger each week, and generally have a different topic of which allows everyone to get involved and share their individual opinion or experiences. I love Twitter chats as it allows you to discover bloggers you haven't come across before but it is also a great way to promote your recent posts and blog in general.

Hashtags - Following on from Twitter chats, using those same hashtags that are used during those chats to just generally promote every tweet you put out regarding your blog instantly allows your tweets to reach more than just the people who follow you which also can include brands who potentially may want to work with you. Whenever i'm putting out a tweet promoting my blog or latest blog posts I always ensure I use #bbloggers (beauty bloggers), #lbloggers (lifestyle bloggers) and #fbloggers (fashion bloggers), mainly because they are the hashtags that tie in with my blogs theme and general persona. Again similarly to Twitter chats there are now so many different hashtags, and getting your head around what they all stand for can be difficult but the ones I have mentioned are the generally most used hashtags that help to get your tweets seen.

Tagging brands - When promoting blog posts on Twitter, if that particular blog post has a brand or many brands featured it's always in your best interest to ensure you're tagging those brands Twitter pages, because nine times out of ten they will retweet and/or favourite your tweets to their following, thus meaning your post gets pushed out to a lot of people. What is great about Twitter now is that rather than using up your 140 character count tagging brands, you can tag them in any pictures you upload meaning you can get the most out of your tweets, so a big thank you to Twitter for sorting that out finally!

Retweet accounts - As well as tagging brands in your tweets in order to gain a bit of extra promotion, there are accounts on Twitter dedicated to retweeting bloggers tweets in order to reach more bloggers/readers and just simply tagging them in your posts means that they will retweet you. I usually don't tag retweet accounts as I end up going over my character count but when I have it does definitely help just push my tweets that little bit further, and it's great if you're just starting out blogging. The few retweet accounts that I use and follow are UK Blogger RT, Female Blogger RT and BBlog RT.

Scheduling tweets - If like me you work full time and you don't have time to be sitting on social media all day then scheduling tweets will literally be your life saver as it allows you to still promote your posts on Twitter throughout the day. My favourite app to use is Buffer as you can completely customise it to your own needs with how tweets you want to put out a day, what time periods you want tweets to go out and it provides analytics to any tweets posted through the app. I always schedule my tweets during week days as it literally takes 10 minutes in the morning to schedule everything for the day ahead, and it means that I don't have to worry about promoting my blog through Twitter as it does it for you.

So those are a few ways that I promote my blog through Twitter, of which I find to be the most effective in order to gain as much exposure as possible. Make sure you're following me on Twitter as I love following everyone back, so come say hi!

Now that December is fully in swing it only seemed right to give a little round up of a few products i've been loving, and although i've been trying a fair few new products this past month I found it quite hard to pull together this post, as i'm still getting to grips with some products. However a few products i've rediscovered and I wanted to share some love especially if you're struggling with things to add to your Christmas wishlist.

November all in all was a good month, but also a very busy month work wise with many late evenings and not so many stressless days, so i'm glad we're finally in the run up to Christmas. During December I have a few random days off work here and there, and i'm really hoping to create some festive content that I hope you will all enjoy, as I do really enjoy putting out new content but it's often hard juggling it all with work and just life in general, so stay tuned for some exciting posts!

Onto the post and i'm going to get straight in with my first and most worn items of the month. If you saw my recent post, you'll of seen that I finally made a cheeky little Colour Pop haul as i've heard some amazing things about their products, their lip products especially. All month long i've been alternating between two of their Ultra Matte Lip ($6) in the shades Midi and Times Square. The main reason I wanted to get my hands on these especially is because there has been a lot of hype around them being dupes for the Kylie Lip Kits, which I have tried and love but I wondered if these would be a more affordable option, of which I will be doing a whole post on soon so stay Midi being a very pale nude pink, which is supposably a dupe for Koko K but it's not in my opinion. Times Square on the other hand is a true brown nude with a lovely red undertone that I think really suits my complexion and skin tone. Formula wise they are very matte, but they aren't uncomfortable like some matte liquid lipsticks can be and they do last really well throughout the day, however I do find they come off very easily when eating but that's not something that majorly bothers me.

Moving onto the next product that i've been absolutely loving the past couple of weeks, and if you saw my recent haul then you'll have seen I picked up a load of bits from The Body Shop Christmas range! Upon first smelling the bits I ordered I knew that I had to crack open the Vanilla Chai Shower Gel (£5) straight away as it smelt incredible. The scent I thought would be your typical vanilla scent but with the added chai it has a somewhat Christmasy feel to it that I just love, and the scent lingers so long after! If you're a lover of festive scented body products or just vanilla products in general then you'll love this.

Onto the rediscoveries of which I think i'll always love and often use but from time to time products often get replaced for the newest or latest thing. Firstly is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19) which I have recently repurchased after literally scraping the last bits out of my previous one for months, and I thought it was about time I picked up a new one. For anyone who has tried this concealer you'll know how good it is, as it gives amazing coverage to any blemishes or uneven areas and it's also pretty good at highlighting. For a really affordable concealer it's definitely one to try if you haven't already! Lastly for my November favourites it the Marc Jacobs Decadence Perfume (£44.10) which I kindly received for Christmas last year and this didn't really get much love during the summer months, but now that winter is in full swing it's come back out and i've remembered how much I love it. Typically it's not the usual Marc Jacobs sweet girly scent, but the sophistication to it is still very me and the packaging is just as unique as all of his fragrances.